Drama unfolds yet again at the Australian Open! Tennis fans know the sport is full of surprises, and the first Grand Slam of the year is living up to its reputation. This time, all eyes are on Emma Raducanu. The British star, who shot to fame with her Cinderella story at the US Open, is once again making headlines. But it’s not her dazzling skills this time that are to blame. So, what’s going on? Yep, you guessed it—yet another health scare has reared its head, casting a shadow over her Grand Slam campaign.

The British tennis sensation played her second-round match against Amanda Anisimova in Melbourne. She started on a remarkable note and completely dominated the first set leaving her counterpart baffled, 6-3. However, struggles started to take center stage for the star player soon after and she fired consecutive double faults. But that was just the beginning of her struggles. 

Raducanu decided to take a medical timeout while trailing 3-0 in the second set. Soon, a doctor and her physio were rushed to the spot as the Brit received treatment on her left hip region. But Raducanu knows how to handle pressure and face adversities. The 22-year-old returned to action soon and with a fresh energy. She not only bounced back in the set but also won it 7-5, thereby securing a spot for herself in the third round, where she will be facing Iga Swiatek on Friday. But overcoming her injury woes will be a crucial task for Raducanu, given the challenges she has faced quite recently.

Remember, Raducanu faced a multitude of problems in the last season and managed to play only 14 tournaments besides the Billie Jean King Cup. At the Korea Open, she withdrew after suffering a foot injury during her quarterfinal clash against Daria Kasatkina which also forced her to pull out from several other tournaments during the Asian Swing as well. And even when she entered the 2025 season, her challenges continued to grapple her.

Just before her campaign at the ASB Classic in Auckland, Raducanu decided to withdraw owing to a back injury. “I’ve tried my best to be ready, I love Auckland and the fans here. But unfortunately, I’ve picked up a back niggle and I won’t be ready in time,” she said in a statement. Notably, Raducanu has also received a warning from experts about her career and one such voice came from none other than Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs. 

Emma Raducanu warned about injuries for the 2025 season 

Emma Raducanu once demonstrated great potential on the tennis courts. In a story that by now has become legend, she won the US Open title in 2021 and quickly rose up the ranks. However, her injuries continued to pose a serious threat with Raducanu pushed to the 285th Spot by the end of 2023. While she made a quick leap in 2024 and entered the Top 100 yet again, her injuries continued to concern her. Now, she has been warned about her current season too. Stubbs believes her 2025 might be marred by injuries if Raducanu cannot take care of her physical health.

Speaking on ESPN, Stubbs said, “I think the most successful thing that can happen for Emma is that she doesn’t have injuries. She has to have some consistent play throughout the whole year and not default matches, not pull out of tournaments. It’s already happened in Auckland.” Continuing further, she shared that while she is capable of winning matches, she needs to do figure out her fitness regimen.

“She’s an incredibly good player. She’s consistent on all sides, got a good serve. There’s no real true weaknesses. But as far as Emma is concerned, it’s just the physicality. She’s got to be able to hit — get out there and play five, six matches to win tournaments week after week after week,” Stubbs added. Now, with Raducanu entering the third round, it will be crucial to see if she can overcome the struggles from today’s match, and hand-deliver an upset against Swiatek to continue her run in Melbourne.